Counting Marriages and Divorces: Comparisons of 2010 Marriage and Divorce Rates across Counties and States

Wendy D. Manning, Bowling Green State University
Krista K. Payne, Bowling Green State University

Rapid family change has occurred, but it has not been accurately charted at the local level. Our capacity to understand variation in marriage and divorce is hindered by the deterioration and defunding of the marriage and divorce vital statistics system. There is no central depository of county-level marriage and divorce data preventing researchers from addressing questions about the geographic concentration and/or variation of marriage and divorce and incorporating local level marriage and divorce indicators as contextual factors. Our primary goal is to compile 2010 county-level marriage and divorce data and contrast measurement of state record marriage and divorce data to ACS and NCHS data. In addition, we document spatial variation in marriage and divorce rates.